Reign Just Lost to 9 Players. Yes, You Read That Right.
The Seattle Reign walked out of Providence Park on Friday night with their tails between their legs after dropping a 2-0 match to the Portland Thorns in the 44th edition of the Cascadia derby. Here's the kicker: Portland played the final 34 minutes with nine players on the field. Nine. And still won. This was the first time in the rivalry's history that the Thorns picked up red cards in both halves, but it didn't matter. The Reign are now 1-1 to start the season, and this one's going to sting for a while.
How Do You Lose With a Two-Player Advantage?
The Thorns' midfielder Cassandra Bogere got sent off early in the ninth minute for dragging down Reign midfielder Nérilia Mondésir, giving Seattle what looked like a massive gift. Portland was down to 10 players for 37 minutes in the first half, and the raucous crowd of 21,321 couldn't fill the gap. Instead, the Reign got exposed on a corner kick in the 28th minute. Thorns midfielder Olivia Moultrie served it up and forward Pietra Tordin headed it past keeper Claudia Dickey for the opening goal. Then, just nine minutes later, quick passes in midfield sent Reilyn Turner on a run. Turner's left-footed shot beat Reign defender Emily Mason and found the back of the net. Just like that, it was 2-0 and everything fell apart.
Two Red Cards Weren't Enough
Portland lost a second player in the 56th minute when defender Reyna Reyes was sent off for violent conduct after tangling with Reign outside back Madison Curry's hair during an aerial duel in the 54th minute. VAR brought referee Elvis Osmanovic in to review, and he announced the red card to the crowd. Thorns coach Robert Vilahamn made tactical adjustments and subbed on Sophia Wilson, the U.S. international returning from maternity leave after missing the entire 2025 season. She had multiple threatening runs but couldn't convert.
Reign midfielder Sam Meza knew better. "We needed to make better decisions, be a little bit quicker and move the ball," he said. Reign coach Laura Harvey pointed to fatigue as the real culprit. The team had just survived a 12-hour travel day to Florida, a three-hour weather delay, and 48 hours to get home. "When you're fatigued, the first thing that goes is your brain," Harvey said. Reign midfielder Jess Fishlock, though, wasn't having it. She felt Sofia Huerta's free kick in stoppage time should have been the closer, but keeper Morgan Messner made the save to end it. This loss stings, and the Reign know they have to be better.
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This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.